On Eating Your Spare Milk Kefir Grains
16October 22, 2013 by transilvanian
Experience and past history tells me that most of my kefir buddies have already got quite a few spare grains by now.
One of the great things about sharing my grains was the peace of mind knowing that people look after them.
(There’s accidents and mishapps every now and then, however we shouldn’t be too concerned about that.)
Fortunately for all of us they are quite easy to replace.
Honestly, the milk kefir grains need very little compared with what they offer us in return.
Now to the point of my post.
Some of my milk kefir buddies ask me what to do with the extra grains they got, after they stored them in the fridge, dried them, shared them around, and so on.
The best thing to do is to drink them , swallow them whole.
I cannot stress enough how good they are for your intestinal flora.
It may not sound to youi like a very palatable thing to do.
The way I do it is to mix them with a little bit of kefir, just enough for one large gulp, and then wash them down with more kefir.
In case they made a large colony, I gently break them up so I don’t have to swallow a lumpy thing.
HOWEVER, MOST IMPORTANTLY, break them up without crushing them.
They don’t mind separation, but they hate crushing.
Here’s another wondeful way this amazing little creatures look after us and our health.
A refresher for my newest subscribers, my early posts explain the basics of getting you started with your grains:
Here’s a link to the first part by the way…
(My grains are available for sale on my Kefir Grains Australia page.)
Kefir Grains Australia 
Hello, how do I get a hold of some of these grains? I have emailed some time ago, however have had no reply. Thank you kindly in advance Rina
Sent from my iPhone
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Hi Rina,
I can easily mail you some milk kefir grains.
I will be sending you an email with my home address, all you need to do is send me a pre-stamped pre-addressed standard envelope to me and I will send you a teaspoon of milk kefir grains to get you started.
To your health,
Marius
Thanks for the information and your generosity 🙂 my Kefir grains are healthy and growing bigger and bigger…
Hi Kiana, I am so happy to hear that.
When look after properly they thrive, and I kid you not, I honestly believe the milk kefir tastes better.
Just like any other living creature, the milk kefir grains do better when they are shown a little bit of love.
All the best to you and your grains.
Hi mate.
Would it be possible to have some of your kefir grains posted my way? They sound great.
Alternatively I could come and pick them up, I live in Adelaide – if you’re comfortable with that (and depending on exactly where you live).
Thanks!
I have kefir grains from two different sources. They are both hale and hearty, producing kefir in abundance and reproducing themselves quite well.
My questions are: 1) Are all kefir grains the same? and 2) Is it OK for me to combine the grains or should I continue to keep them separated?
Thank you for all the kefir information on your blog; I came across it quite by accident and am greatly enjoying all your good tips! You are sharing the goodness across the globe!
Mary Huber, Pennsylvania, USA
Hi Mary and very nice to meet you,
apologies for such a late reply, we’ve been away for a short while, just realised now I got a message from you.
About the types of grains, I don’t believe they are all the same.
Interesting thing I noticed, my own grains produce different kefir at times, when using the same milk and under the same conditions.
They are living creatures, various environmental changes upsets them, apart from the food of course, they got “moods”, they hybernate, etc.
They are simply amazing and quite fascinating to watch.
About mixing different grains from different strains, I think you can do that quite safely, they are not known to be belligerent :o)
All the best to you and once again it is great to have met you,
Marius
Hi … I am desperate to try MK n would love some starter grains ☺️
I am in the process of starting an Autoimmune Protocol and one of the suggestions is Kefir. I remember buying it pre-made about 5 years ago when I lived in the US but I never thought it was something I could make myself. I’m always paranoid about food poisoning…is this even a possibility? Anyway, I tried to follow the link to your sale page but it seems to be an old listing. If you’re still willing to share some grains I’d love to give this a try. Regards, Brenda.
Hello Brenda and nice to meet you,
if you had a chance to read through my replies to people you realised I am definitely biased through home-made kefir.
The pre-made, industrial type kefir has got a limited number of probiotic bacteria, about 18 from memory, whereas my strain of grains got about 42.
You can always use pasteurized milk if you are worried about food poisoning, and also I suggest you start with small quantities, to get you intestine used to them.
Another great advantage with home and grain-made kefir is that you can make it to suit your taste and your health needs.
I’ll contact you privately about getting hold of some of my grains, they’ll be more that happy to look after you and your health…
All the best to you and have a great day,
Marius
Hi Marius,
Just found your site, very helpful thank you!! 🙂
I’m visiting Melbourne in 2wks time & am unsure I can get my kefir in thru customs ok from NZ…could I get some grains from you instead & leave them with my Mum there? I’m just really loathe to go without for 10 days, it helps my digestion so much!
Thanks
Debbie
I’m very interested to know more about consuming the grains. Is there a big difference between what the drink versus the grains does for the body? Do the grains continue to survive once consumed, and is there a safe amount to eat? I just swallowed my first grain tonight and am excited to see if I notice even more health benefits if I do this regularly.
Thank you!
Hi transilvanian,
I find my kefir grains growing so quickly I usually have too much milk as they’re using the milk so quickly. I’m thinking of using just enough milk each day to keep the grains happy, and eating the grains themselves. Is there any reason I’m missing out by not having the milk and just eating the grains? I know people sometimes do a second ferment, but that milk would still be less powerful than eating the grains direct? Also, as long as the grains seem to be growing in weight each day I guess they’re ok right?
Hi Maccy,
Great to hear your grains are doing so well, you obviously do all the right things to keep them happy and healthy.
I think is the loose little grains in the kefir drink that make it through the strainer that do so much good to our gut, not the milky drink itself.
That’s great for its own taste, for dressing a salad, for your baking, or starting a fermented vegetable batch, however it is the little critters that do the magic.
Your intestinal flora will thank you for eating or drinking your grains, they can only contribute to your gut’s health, I am certain of that.
If your grains are into overdrive – sometimes they do that for no apparent reason, now is a good time to separate and freeze a small batch for your own backup.
If you still get too many, try and give them away, maybe on Gumtree, I am sure there are people around that are desperate for some grains.
Wishing you and your babies a wonderful day,
Marius
Thanks Marius for the quick response, regards freezing, is it as simple as putting the grains in some milk and freezing like that? Or freeze them on their own?
Thanks, Maccy
Hi Maccy, when I have to freeze mine I rinse them in filtered water and let them dry a bit before I put them in the freezer. Wasn’t sure if that was the case, but I was worried about the water icicles killing them. If you have enough try both, in milk and on their own, and please let us know how you go, that would be interesting to see…